“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These are powerful words that are often recited as ashes are applied to the forehead of Christians. For the past few years of my life, Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent has been a time of focused commitment to journey with Christians around the world to the cross. This season is marked … [Read More...]

I believe in Hell. Hell is real, in one form or another.Hell on earth is something every human being agrees exists. War tears families apart. Disease kills parents and leaves behind orphans. Famine neglects to feed the most vulnerable. Consumerism by the privileged fuels the ramifications of all of these things. Hell on earth--this is r … [Read More...]

*Guest Post by Jeff K. Clarke. He offers guest insights here on the Pangea Blog from time to time. I hope you enjoy! My theological journey has less to do with changes made to specific categories, though many such changes have occurred, and more to do with the posture, mood and style in which I engage in the theological task. In the past, my appro … [Read More...]

It's been 3.5 years since I originally coined the phrase "Evangelical Reject." And a lot has happened in those years, in my life and in the culture of the church in America.For one, when I originally wrote "You Might Be An Evangelical Reject If...," the word "evangelical" still had authority as a label for millennials like myself. Many of us … [Read More...]

They shall beat swords into plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, [nor] learn war anymore. Isaiah 2.4 (NRSV)I have a bottle topper that says: “Recycled from disarmed nuclear weapon systems.” Its opposite reads: “Make wine not war.” Whether you drink wine or not this image is powerful. This rep … [Read More...]

Hebron.It is the city where one building, separated by bulletproof glass, is both a mosque and synagogue. Here houses the legendary burial sites of Abraham and Sarah (Tomb of the Patriarchs).Hebron is a city of division. Of violence. Of pain. Of apartheid. Of racism. Of militarism. Of despair. Of settlement.I know this first hand. I've … [Read More...]

In this post, I've attempted to create a list of books for families who are followers of the way of Jesus. As Christians, we are called to foster the imaginations of our children so that they will know of God's heart for reconciliation, peacemaking, and justice. Although I don't have a long list to offer here, I do want to offer a few books that we … [Read More...]

Each year Christmas comes along and so do various controversies. Yesterday, my friend Jeff Clarke wrote:However, when we post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram our demand for people toKeep Christ in Christmas, we are in that moment displaying a degree of arrogance, not humility. Instead of pointing people to the humble birth of the incarnate … [Read More...]

*Guest Post: By Jeff K. Clarke ————————– Keep Christ in Christmas is the slogan of choice for many Christians during this time of year. We see the phrase used all over the place - from Facebook posts, Twitter feeds and Instagram pictures, to Pinterest links and blog posts. However, while Keep Christ in Christmas is a good way for Jesus-followers t … [Read More...]

From Kurt: The following post comes from my friend Drew Hart. Read his blog! Also, read his full bio a the bottom of this post. He's not only a gifted thinker on issues pertaining to theology and race, but he's a great person. This article will challenge many of us who come from privileged backgrounds. Hopefully it will lead us closer towards the p … [Read More...]

Hey friends.You may remember that I spoke at a conference a couple months back. It was an honor to share this moment with many excellent voices for peace and justice:Plenary 1: A Fresh Encounter with Jesus, with Greg Boyd, Meghan Good, and Brian Zahnd Plenary 2: A Radical Approach to Community, with Bruxy Cavey, Samuel Sarpiya, Dennis … [Read More...]

Derek Flood's new book Disarming Scripture has just been released this week, and has already received endorsements and accolades from some pretty big names: Walter Brueggemann, Jim Wallis, Peter Enns, and Steve Chalke to name a few.Disarming Scripture deals with the problem of violence in Scripture, tackling a wide range of troubling … [Read More...]

Recently the internet has been abuzz with an interesting story (Here's where I read about it: Watch a home-schooler mom go through a science museum and destroy evolution) [this isn't an endoresemnt of the full content of that article, just an example of how this video has gone viral, etc.].A homeschool mom [unfortunately, the reputation of … [Read More...]

At Pangea Communities, we are ten messages into our series on Revelation. We have focused on themes such as spiritual formation, radical discipleship, empire, and God's Kingdom.For many of us, we grew up thinking that Revelation was a book that: proved Jesus was a badass after all (and not merely that hippie in the Sermon on the Mount), … [Read More...]

I post this analysis at the risk of being completely ignorant. I mean that in a humble sense--as I seek to learn to care about the welfare of all people. Speaking of an oppressed culture, as one who lacks the ability to fully understand, is a risk. I post this reflection as part of my journey of understanding the African American struggle. This r … [Read More...]

There are several ways to do bible study. The old fashion way, with a Bible, books, and journal works just fine. You can highlight, crease your favorite pages, and write notes. There's something humanizing about this slow process of study. For those who are not worried about expediting study time, this post is probably not for you.However, if … [Read More...]

By Jeff K. Clarke -------------------------- Let me say it up front - I don't believe there is such a thing as a 'God moment.' By 'God moment' I refer to the phrase that speaks of those episodes when God is said to suddenly 'show up.' For Christians, the phrase would normally be used in the context of a church service, meeting or conference … [Read More...]

In this post, I want to explore the connection between Rene Girard's view of sacrifice and the nonviolent empowerment of the church through the Eucharist. Before I do, here are a couple of my assumptions.Christianity, in its ideal form, is absolutely committed to nonviolence. In Christendom (and some years prior) our fore-bearers gave into the … [Read More...]